Local high school-to-college talent picked for fantasy ‘Home Sweet Home’ hoops team
With a lull in the sports world, it’s time to announce Richmond’s all-time “Home Sweet Home” basketball team.
Tierra Terry selected as new coach of VUU Lady Panthers
Tierra Terry has been selected as Virginia Union University’s new women’s basketball coach.
Jason Nelson of John Marshall High hoops hones in on college pick
And the envelope please ... John Marshall High School basketball standout Jason Nelson has narrowed his list of college options to two.
Front-runners line up for NBA Rookie of the Year
An athlete need not come from a college powerhouse to create a big splash in the NBA.
804 Coaches for Change holds initial rally at Ashe statue
An energetic group called 804 Coaches for Change has its foot on the gas pedal with no thoughts of slowing down anytime soon.
A salute to famous athletes who served Uncle Sam
Al Bumbry was a star in the trenches long before gaining star status on the baseball diamond.
Where are the African-American catchers in MLB?
African-American baseball catchers are a vanishing breed.
Caylin Newton transfers from Howard to Auburn
Another quarterback named Newton is on the Auburn University football roster.
VUU football player Emmanuel Antwi earns co-valedictorian honors for Class of 2020
Emmanuel Antwi was No. 53 on the football field and No. 1 in the classroom at Virginia Union University.
Former NFL player Roosevelt ‘Rosey’ Taylor dies at 82
Roosevelt “Rosey” Taylor, who played on championship teams in college and with the NFL, died Friday, May 29, 2020. Mr. Taylor was 82.
NBA legend Wes Unseld succumbs at 74
The basketball world mourns the loss of a legend. Westley “Wes” Unseld, among the most powerful inside forces in college and NBA history, has died.
Washington Nationals looking for a repeat championship
If the Washington Nationals are to repeat as World Series champion, the team will need help in replacing the power of departed All-Star Anthony Rendon, who is now with the Los Angeles Angels.
Former TJ, South Carolina standout reclaims the headlines
Much to his own surprise, Philip Logan is back in the news.
Richmonder Bobby Dandridge was the final puzzle piece to the Bucks’ 1971 title
If and when NBA play resumes, the Milwaukee Bucks will try and scratch a nearly half-century itch. The franchise’s first and only NBA title was in 1971 with a cast featuring two all-time greats, Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, plus a lesser known but extraordinarily talented Richmonder.
Former NBA All-Star Mo Williams to coach at Alabama State
Alabama State University, a public HBCU in Montgomery, is hopeful a former NBA All-Star will bring success to its basketball program.
VCU snags another transfer player, Levi Stockard III
Seems like just about any college basketball story nowadays includes the word “transfer.”
’His Airness’ Michael Jordan also knew how to swing a bat
Michael Jordan the basketball player is a global legend. His greatness is beyond debate. Meanwhile, Jordan the baseball player remains a bit of a mystery, his status open to discussion.
Woody Strode and other African-American athletes went from sports to the silver screen
Woody Strode was among the first four African-Americans to play in the NFL, but that isn’t necessarily his top claim to fame.
VUU alum played for late Coach Don Shula with the Baltimore Colts
A native Richmonder played at least a small role in the historic coaching legacy of the late Don Shula.
Top NBA draft choice spent a week on college team
James Wiseman offers new meaning to the basketball term “one and done.”
VUU signs transfers to boost basketball team
Coming from near and far, help is on the way for the Virginia Union University basketball team.
Former Richmond coach to be inducted into S.C. State Athletic Hall of Fame
Former Richmonder Benjamin “Benny” Blocker has been selected for induction into the South Carolina State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
VCU Rams waiting to hear about eligibility of new 7'1" Medley-Bacon
Virginia Commonwealth University basketball has added a new player, but the Rams must wait until May 20 to learn when he becomes eligible to play.
Hampton's Blue Thunder cheerleading squad turns to online tryouts
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting every aspect of athletics, even cheerleading. Hampton University has conducted a virtual tryout for its Blue Thunder spirit squad.
Juwan Carter looking to break records at NSU
Juwan Carter has met Aaron Sparrow and the two men hit it off. Now, with all due respect, Carter hopes to politely erase Sparrow’s name from Norfolk State University’s football record book.
Only one player at HBCU drafted into NFL
The once busy football pipeline between HBCUs and the NFL appears to have stalled. Out of seven rounds and 255 selections in the NFL’s virtual draft last month, only one HBCU athlete heard his name called.
Memories of Tommie Aaron in Richmond live on
The former Richmond Braves drew headlines in 1977 by making Tommie Aaron the International League’s first African-American manager.
Former Highland Springs players drafted into NFL
NFL fans in Highland Springs now have local connections to the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Chase Young, Washington’s first NFL draft pick, plans to ‘Terrorize the Moment’
Chase Young is all business on the football field — and thinking about business off the gridiron.
VUU and VSU announce 2020-21 football schedules
CIAA football starts in September, but Virginia Union University fans won’t see their Panthers at home until October.
Coach Gilbert leaves Lady Panthers for Detroit Mercy
Virginia Union University’s next women’s basketball coach has a tough act to follow.
Bobby Mitchell, a trailblazer with the Washington NFL team, dies at 84
Former NFL great Robert Cornelius “Bobby” Mitchell, famous for immense talent and racial trailblazing, died Sunday, April 5, 2020.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis dies at 85
When historians reminisce about the Green Bay Packers dynasty of the 1960s, William Delford “Willie” Davis’ name is among the first to come up.
Weldon Edwards planted seeds as first black football player 50 years ago at UR
“Last August the University of Richmond signed its first Negro football player, Weldon Edwards,” so wrote Mark Holpe of The Collegian, UR’s campus newspaper, in 1970.
Think of groundbreaker George Taliaferro during NFL draft
George Taliaferro was a game changer regarding the NFL draft. He also took versatility to a higher level.
Former John Marshall player Isaiah Todd jumps from high school to pros
Petersburg native Moses Malone pioneered the term “Preps to Pros” in August 1974. Now former Richmonder Isaiah Todd is a pacesetter in a new option to bypass college basketball and fast break straight from high school to dunking for dollars.
Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer Tim Brown dies
Former NFL great Tim Brown, who drew acclaim as an athlete, actor and singer, died Saturday, April 4, 2020, of complications from dementia. Mr. Brown was 82 and living in Palm Springs, Calif.
Get ready for Team Fiction
Baseball All-Stars put together from film and television
We still have peanuts and Cracker Jacks to munch on this spring, but there is no live baseball to enjoy with the snacks.
NBA one-on-one tournament would be interesting about now
Going crazy with no sports? Wouldn’t a live NBA one-on-one tournament be entertaining about now?
Varina High sophomore makes All-State Team
All-State boys basketball teams generally are reserved for experienced seniors, with perhaps a junior here and there. Alphonzo Billups is an exception to that largely because of his exceptional talent.
University of San Francisco broke unwritten ‘two black max’ rule to win NCAA in the 1950s
During NCAA basketball’s early years, there was a “gentleman’s agreement” not to play more than two African-American players at a time. Fortunately, not everyone shared that same bigoted mindset.
With postponement of Olympics, Biles fighting time, age to win gold again
Simone Biles was an overwhelming favorite to repeat as All-Around Artistic Gymnastic champion at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Then, because of the coronavirus, the 2020 Olympics were postponed to 2021, when Biles will be 24 years old.
Virginia native vying for ‘World’s Fastest Human’
Track and field enthusiasts will have to wait another year to see the unveiling of the next “World’s Fastest Human.” The 2020 Olympic Games set for this July and August in Tokyo have been postponed to 2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Les Hunter, who helped change the face of NCAA basketball, dies at 77
Les Hunter, famous for his role in the “Game of Change,” died Friday, March 27, 2020, near his home in Chicago.
‘Curly’ Neal, who added skill and laughs to the Harlem Globetrotters for more than 20 years, dies at 77
Many people felt Frederick “Curly” Neal was like a magician on the basket- ball court. And his most dazzling trick of all— and one he never failed at—was putting glowing smiles on the faces of people of all ages.
Scoring his 1,000th point, Huguenot’s Jordan Parham gets a Gatorade bath
On special occasions, it can be OK for an athlete to take a shower even before getting to the locker room. At least that was the case for Huguenot High School’s Jordan Parham on Feb. 7, Senior Night.
Stats show college players at the top of the game
There is no official NCAA team champion this basketball season due to COVID-19, but there are many individual national champs. One, in fact, has a local address. Jacob Gilyard, the junior point guard for the University of Richmond, led the nation this season with 3.16 steals per game.
Injury not a setback for soccer standout who wins UR scholarship
When an aspiring young athlete suffers a devastating setback, he or she has two choices: They can moan “Why me?” and cry a river so deep they drown in it. Or they can grit their teeth, tighten their laces and bounce back.
Remembering VUU’s glory days as NCAA champions
There will be no national college basketball championships to celebrate this season. As unfortunate as that is, the pause in sports because of the coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to reflect on past glory.
'Count Blockula' Hassan Whiteside leads NBA in blocked shots
The area under the backboards is where Hassan Whiteside feels most at home, and he doesn’t take kindly to trespassers.
